Finding Your Soul Mate
by HellaAwesome
Summary: First Fic. New Summary. Sometimes you don't realize that what you have been looking for, was right in front of you all along. Full Summary Inside. OOC, AH, M for language.
1. Bellas Arrival

So, this is my first attempt at FanFiction... Let's see if anyone likes it!

I will update as often as possible, but I do teach high school and we don't get out until June 23rd then I'm going away to Germany and Greece for a couple weeks. On top of that, I'm taking classes towards my masters, so I'll be a little busy until mid-July. After that I plan to write non-stop! lol

Also, I will try to put links up on my profile for Bella's outfits, cause I like to play with clothes!

_**Summary:**_ Edward isn't interested in the girls of Forks; they are two-dimensional, only caring about popularity and themselves. He is looking for someone with substance. Bella, a well traveled, intelligent girl, wise beyond her years, moves to town with Charlie. What starts out as a great friendship could lead to lifelong happiness. Slightly OOC, AH, AU, Cannon Couples, M for future chapters.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Chapter 1 – Bella's Arrival**

BPOV

So, the summer before my senior year in high school had to be the best by far. I know Renee and Phil were trying to spend a little more time with me before I got shipped off to live in Forks, Washington with my father, Charlie, but when you're in Paris, France, who would really want to hang out with their parents?

Phil had recently been offered a position with the Philadelphia Phillies as their first base coach, and Renee would be traveling with him and the team. I know she's going to have a blast and I don't want to hold her back, so I understand them wanting me to live with Charlie. There was no way I was going to stay in Phoenix by myself. There were a few things I was going to need to give up, though. One of them being my friends. My school is by no means small, but I knew almost everyone there. I like to think that I'm not limited to one certain clique, but that I can travel through all social circles. I got along with everyone and everyone got along with me. I was going to miss that. I was going to be the 'new girl' at a super tiny school in the middle of nowhere.

That's another thing that bothers me: a super tiny school in the middle of nowhere. In Phoenix I had attended a very prestigious private school where I was enrolled in all honors classes. What is this new school going to have to offer me? We shall see.

Anyway, I had just boarded my flight from Paris to Seattle, Washington alone. Mom and Phil would be catching another flight straight to Philadelphia. As I sat back and relaxed into my first class seat, I started to remember what a great time I'd had. Breakfast with Renee and Phil at the hotel each morning, a different museum each day, all the notable attractions. And don't let me forget the attractive men.

I met Tristan at the entrance to the Louvre. He walked around with me all afternoon sharing his knowledge of the paintings and sculptures. He was attending University as an art major. And he was gorgeous; tall, dark skin, dark hair, bright eyes. He took me to diner after the museum and we walked the streets of Paris until it got late. When he walked me back to my hotel, he asked if he could see me again. I met up with him a few more times throughout the summer. He showed me all the unknown galleries and hidden secrets.

I met Adrien while wandering around the Arc De Triumph. He turned out to be an architecture major. He showed me all the amazing structures around the city. He took me to Notre Dame and showed me the different arches and columns and explained the history behind them. He was smart and confident, which was a major turn on.

I met Julien at La Tour Eiffel. I had made the journey to the top and was looking out in the direction of Arizona, when he approached me. He was my favorite of the three. I spent more time with him than the other two. He took me to lunch at all the cute little street corner cafés, and to dinner at fancy restaurants, and to different shows in the evening. It was a dream. And of the three of them, he was definitely the best kisser. He was soft, and sweet, and he held me close, cupping my cheek. I could spend the entire eighteen hour flight thinking about his kisses and remembering the feeling of them. I made sure to exchange contact info with Julien before we said our last goodbye. We planned to stay in contact with each other through e-mail and text.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My arrival in Seattle was uneventful. I grabbed my bags from the turnstile, and met Charlie out front. The ride back to Forks was quiet. Charlie had asked me if I enjoyed myself in Paris and how my flight was, but I was so exhausted from the trip that I slept most of the way home.

When we arrived at the house, it was just as I had remembered it. Nothing much changes around here. Sometimes thats a good thing; no surprises. Other times, it gets extremely boring. Charlie helped me bring my bags upstairs to my old room. I noticed that Charlie had gone ahead and unpacked for me. We had shipped a few things up before we left for Paris. Charlie had set up my queen size bed, and had put my collection of books up on the shelves. I'd have to go through them later and put them in order. I noticed, on my desk sat the MacBook Air Phil had purchased for me before we left along with my iHome docking station. I immediately pulled out my iPhone and docked it to charge. If you hadn't noticed, I love Apple with a passion. I think Phil actually bought stock in the company.

"So, Bella, I'll leave you to get settled. I'm sure you're still tired from the flight. If you're hungry, you know where the kitchen is." Charlie said as he slowly made his way out of my room.

"Thanks, Dad. I think I might just catch up on some sleep, but I'll talk to you in the morning." I said with a slight yawn.

"Sure thing, Bells." Charlie moved to leave and then turned back. "Bella, I forgot to mention that your car arrived safely. It looks kinda fancy for this area, so I parked it in the garage to keep it out of the elements."

"Thank you. I really appreciate that." And I did! If you thought I loved Apple, you won't believe the amount of love I've got for my car. Phil wanted to butter me up when he first married my mom. He bought me this unbelievably beautiful piece of machinery. I am the proud owner of a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti 6-speed. She's a beauty. Dark blue metallic paint job, though they have some fancy name for it called 'Blu Tour De France,' and the interior is light gray leather they like to call 'Grigio Scuro,' whatever that means. Phil thought of every detail even down to the yellow calipers to match. That car is my baby.

"Well, sleep good. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

"Thanks, Dad. For everything."

Charlie made his way downstairs as I closed the door to my room. I made myself busy, quickly unpacking and separating my clothes into clean and needs-to-be-washed. I made sure to get a quick shower before I got comfortable in bed. The mattress was perfectly comfortable and I loved the feel of the purple silk sheets on my legs. I curled up on my side, pulling the warm comforter around me and fell into a peaceful sleep full of Paris memories.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I had been in Forks for about a week now, and had spent most of my time in my room or relaxing in the backyard with a book. Renee had e-mailed me every day looking for an update. What could I tell her? _I did nothing... again._ Julien had also sent me an e-mail telling me about the classes he would be taking in the fall. He expressed how dull and lifeless Paris felt without me. _What a charmer!_ Paris could never be dull or lifeless or a combination of the two. He asked me to keep in touch and let him know what my new life is like. I responded to both Renee and Julien; Renee's message being short and sweet, telling her that I'm happy and everything is wonderful; Julien's message being a little more truthful in my analysis of small town life. In Phoenix I had become accustomed to a full social calendar, and while I didn't mind the extra time I had to devote to my books, I did miss having people to talk to.

It was a Friday afternoon when Charlie informed me that his friend Billy would be coming over to watch the Mariners game that night, and his son Jacob would be joining him. I was excited for the social interaction, and even more excited that there would actually be someone my age to converse with. After a quick inspection of the refrigerator, I decided that I would need to go grocery shopping for something to make for the game tonight. I informed Charlie that I was heading out the the store, asking him if he needed anything while I was there.

As I navigated the streets of Forks, I realized just how much I missed driving my baby. Shifting gears, listening to her purr, feeling the tight curves of the road. She was sex on wheels; sleek, and fast, and just perfection. I arrived at the grocery store much too soon and had to leave her for about an hour to take care of the shopping.

I meandered through the aisles up and back, picking up random items that I knew I liked. I stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables, all my necessary toiletries, snack foods for the guys to munch on during the game, and other random items I would need to make dinner for the rest of the week. When I finally approached the checkout, I noticed it was just as deserted as the rest of the store. There were two girls manning the registers. One with curly brown hair, and the other with poker straight blond hair. They both gave me welcoming smiles as I entered the brunette's lane. I smiled back politely and began to empty the contents of my cart onto the conveyor belt.

"You must be new around here." The brunette spoke as she began scanning each item. "I would have remembered you." The blond wondered over the the end of the belt and began bagging my groceries.

"Yeah, I just moved here about a week ago. I'm Bella, by the way."

"Cool, cool. I'm Jessica," said the brunette, "and this is Lauren." She motioned to the blond at the end of the counter. "So," she continued. "Do you, like, have any brothers or sisters?" She asked with a sly smile.

"Um, no. Only child. I just moved in with my dad, Charlie Swan." I hedged, wanting to see how much they had already heard. It was a small town, I'm sure news travels pretty fast around here.

Recognition swept over their faces. _I knew it._ "Oh! Yeah! My mom told me you were moving here." Lauren said. "Chief Swan said you were on vacation in Paris?"

"No way! Paris? That must have been so cool!" Jessica added.

"It was fuckin' amazing." I reminisced, thinking of Julien.

"Looks like someone saw more than a few of the famous sites." Lauren stated suggestively as I blushed.

"Maybe a few. Nothing permanent, they were all a bit older. I'm keeping in touch with one. He's so insightful. Told me I could talk to him about anything." I said, knowing I had that dreamy lilt in my voice as a smile spread across my face.

"How romantic." Jessica swooned. "I'll never meet anyone like that around here." She pouted.

"There are _some_ promising ones." Lauren corrected. "They just need to open their eyes and see what's around them." She added cryptically.

"So, anyway, Bella," Jessica returned her attention to me. "What are you doing next weekend? We're getting together with some friends to spend the afternoon at the park, and since you're new here, you should come out with us and meet our friends! That way, when school starts next month you'll already know a few people!"

She sounded so genuine and excited that I had a hard time saying no, so we traded contact information and I agreed to meet them and their friends in the parking lot of the local outdoor outfitter store just down the street from the grocery store.

After I paid, I made my way out to my car again, and carefully packed the groceries in the trunk. _Thank god it has one, don't know where I would have put them otherwise!_ After the car was packed, I headed back to Charlie's house to start on the buffalo wings.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Billy and Jacob showed up at the house around seven, just in time for the game to start. After quick introductions, we gathered in the family room and I brought out all the food, placing it on the coffee table, buffet style.

"So, Bella, you're going to be a senior this year, right?" Billy asked after filling his plate with wings and chips.

"Yep." I answered cheerfully. "What about you, Jacob? What year are you in?" I asked glancing over at the large boy sitting on the love seat.

"I'll be a sophomore this year." He stated with a grin.

"Awesome! Maybe we can carpool or something!" I offered.

"Oh, I don't go to Forks High." Jacob said, sounding a little down. "I go to school on the reservation."

As the game started, Billy and Charlie became engrossed in the television, ignoring the Jacob and I. I was watching the game, while chatting with Jacob. He was a little young, but seemed like a nice enough kid.

During the seventh inning stretch, I wondered into the kitchen to get another beer for Charlie and Billy and to refill mine and Jacobs drinks. Jacob followed me out with some dishes, placing them in the sink.

"If you're not busy next weekend, I got invited to the park with some girls I met." I offered to Jacob. It would be nice to show up with someone I know rather than be all alone with a group of strangers.

"I'd love to, but I can't. I'll be on that over-night fishing weekend with Charlie and my dad." Jacob confessed.

"Awesome! Throw me to the wolves with no protection!" I teased my newest friend.

"They can't be that bad." Jacob began. "Who did you meet?"

"Jessica and Lauren at the grocery store. They didn't mention their friends names, only that they were going as a group."

Jacob scrunched his nose in slight disgust. "Those two are a pair. Watch out for them. They'll be sweet as pie to your face, then turn around and tell all your dirty little secrets to anyone who'll listen." He warned.

"Got it. Don't tell them my secrets. Check."

"They'll probably be with their normal crowd." He continued. "There's another girl, she's nice, and her boyfriend is trustworthy. Watch the other ones."

"Okay... That's gonna be an interesting afternoon." I mused.

Jacob and I made our way back to the game and after the Mariners won 8-2, he and Billy headed out. We said goodnight and I promised to get together with Jacob before school was back in session. Charlie helped me wrap up all the leftover food and clean up the family room before heading up to bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The weekend came quickly again. With Charlie at work all day, I found it easy being by myself. I spent my time cleaning, reading, listening to music, and occasionally surfing the Internet. Charlie had procured me the list of summer reading so that I could get ahead before the start of school. I had already read most of the books on the list, so I skimmed through them to brush-up on key ideas. As for the one's I hadn't read yet, I was going to head into Port Angeles some time next week to pick them up.

I woke up Saturday morning to see some rare rays of sun streaming through my window. I was going to hang out with Jessica and Lauren today, and I wanted to make a good impression on their friends. I pulled out a pair of Seven jeans, pulled out one of the new Mariners t-shirts I had picked up with Ichiro's name on the back, and my old pair of red chucks. It was suitable for an outing at the park, right? Comfortable, supports the local team, and I looked cute on the rare chance that Jessica and Lauren's friends were cute. No shorts for me. My legs were white as snow, and I didn't need to be blinding anyone.

We were meeting at eleven o'clock, and it was almost ten-thirty by the time I was dressed and ready to go. Charlie had left before dawn to meet Billy and Jacob, so I had put in a couple loads of laundry since he wasn't around. I grabbed the last load out of the dryer and took it up to my room, dumping it on my bed to sort through it later.

I locked up the house, and got into my car. I took my time plugging in my iPhone and deciding which playlist I wanted to listen to. I didn't want to show up too early. I was hoping at least one of the girls would be there when I arrived so I wouldn't be surrounded by people I didn't know.

I finally made my way out of the driveway, and drove down the main road towards the store. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that Jessica and Lauren were both there. _Thank God!_ They were standing with another girl and two other guys. All five of them turned to look as I parked my car in a space across from them. One of the boys, a shaggy blond, was staring with his mouth hanging open. _My baby has that effect on people. That's why I love you,_ I thought, stroking the steering wheel.

As I stepped out of the car, Jessica and Lauren both waved me over.

Lauren spoke as soon as I approached. "I didn't even recognize you! That's one _hot_ car!"

"What is it?" Jessica asked.

I smiled as the blond boy answered for me. "It's a Ferrari." He said with reverence.

"That's right." I smiled at him. He was kinda cute in that baby face kind of way.

He extended his hand to me. "I'm Mike." He introduced himself.

"Bella," I said meeting his hand with mine.

"This is Angela and Ben." He said, gesturing to the other two standing with Jessica and Lauren.

They both offered a wave and Angela smiled.

"We're just waiting for the last two more, then we'll head out." Lauren said as another car pulled into the lot.

"Here they are now." Jessica said brightly as an old blue minivan pulled up next to us. _I guess Charlie was right, my car is a bit fancy for this area. That should be fun on the first day of school!_

The other two boys exited the van and Lauren introduced them as Tyler and Eric.

"I'm totally riding with you, Bella!" Mike announced excitedly.

"Mike, you can't ride with Bella." Jessica whined. "Who will drive your truck?"

Mike looked a little down, but headed back to his Explorer. Jessica jumped in the passenger side of his truck while Lauren and Tyler got in the back. _Yeah, Jess definitely has a thing for Mike. I better not show too much interest or I might be out a friend, no matter what Jacob said about them._ I headed back to my car, getting ready to follow Mike to the park. Angela and Ben climbed into the back seat and Eric sat in the front.

When we arrived at the park, we found a nice spot in the shade by an open field. The girls set out a few blankets while the boys began tossing a football around. We sat and talked for about an hour while they asked me all about my trip to France and my life back in Phoenix. Ben came back to sit with us while Lauren and Jessica got up to run around with the other guys.

Angela and Ben were awesome people from what I could tell. They had been dating since the ninth grade and were so cute together. We wondered over to the baseball diamond to watch a few other guys playing. They acknowledged us as we took a seat to watch and Ben waved to them. We watched the six guys play a short game of three on three. Afterward, they wondered over to say hello.

"Hey Ben, Angela." One of the guys called over to us.

"Hey guys." Ben greeted them. I noticed a few of their eyes flicker back and forth between Ben and myself. Ben must have noticed as well, because he then introduced me. "Oh, this is Bella. She moved here earlier this month."

They all waved and smiled and I did the same. They introduced themselves as Andrew, Nick, Brent, Chad, Justin, and Kevin. They all joined us on the benches and we fell into easy conversation. I found out that they all played on the high school baseball team and were just having a little casual practice. They were all really cute, and fit. I could see myself dating one of them.

As the day wound down and it started getting a little cool out, we decided to head back to town. I knew Charlie would be home soon and would be looking for something to eat for dinner. I said goodbye to everyone when we got back to the parking lot and exchanged numbers with Angela. School was starting in a week and I made plans to pick up Angela and Ben at her house.

The next week went by uneventfully. I made it into the city on Monday to pick up the books I needed, and spent my afternoons reading. I e-mailed Renee again, telling her about my new friends and how excited I was about starting school on Monday. I also sent a message to Julien. I missed him. I had spent almost two weeks straight with him before leaving Paris. I told him how I was actually nervous about the first day of school and about Angela and Ben. On Wednesday I had gone down to La Push and spent the afternoon with Jacob in his garage playing around with a couple old motorcycles he had acquired.

It was Sunday night and I had just finished dinner with Charlie. I went upstairs, got my shower, and laid out an outfit for the first day. Burberry jeans, an A&F polo and hooded zip-up. Gotta have the Doc's too. As I laid in bed trying to fall asleep, I kept thinking the same thing. _Great, tomorrow starts my senior year at Forks High, home of the Spartans. I just hope I can make the best of it until I can get the hell out of this Podunk town._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There you have it! The first chapter or my first story ever. I've got the outline for chapter 2 ready and I'm gonna work on that as soon as I post this. You get to meet Edward next and hear what he did over the summer!

So, let me know what you think! You know what they say, "Reviews are better than _insert anything here._" I wouldn't know yet, but I hope to find out!!!

Thanks!

~Hanne


	2. The Introduction of Edward

I always wonder if I'm using enough detail, if I'm skipping too much. If there's ever anything that doesn't make sense, just ask me and I'll try to explain what's going on in my crazy mind!

Also, if you're looking for some good stories to read, check out my profile. I have a huge list of favorites, but I made another list that I call 'favorites of the favorites' and they're the stories that really stuck with me. They're really amazing stories and I love the authors behind them! So go check those out as well!

Um, yeah, forgot to mention before... I'm not SM, I don't own Twilight, or anything really cool like that... I do own a really awesome calculator... and I have a bouncy ball collection in a big glass jar... lol

Also, I don't own the comedy, that belongs to the big DC, Dane Cook. SuFi for life!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Chapter 2 – The Introduction of Edward**

EPOV

_Ah, another amazing summer in Cali is ending._ Usually I hate this time of year. Spending the summer in California, on the beach, with my family, friends, and whoever I manage to hook-up with, have always been my best memories. I always hate to see the summer end because it means that we will be heading back to Forks, a.k.a.: The Exact Opposite of California.

This year, however, is different. It is different because when we head back to Forks, we will be arriving as Seniors; our last year. _I know, right! It's crazy! All of us Seniors at the same time._ I always joked with Esme about adopting all of us; Emmett, Alice, and myself. I'm not sure she put too much thought into it when we were younger, but as we grew older and hit certain mile-stones, we also hit their bank account. We all got braces around the same time, we all turned 16 together, all got our licenses, and all needed cars, and now we're all going to be graduating together and going off to college at the same time. That fact alone is tough on most families with one child in college, let alone all three of us. Good thing Carlisle and Esme both make good money. Carlisle is the Chief of Staff at the hospital in Forks, and Esme runs a successful Architecture and Interior Design Firm. Her main office is in Seattle, but she always worked from home so she could be around when we were younger.

As I sat on the plane next to Alice, I ran through my new set of summer memories. Carlisle and Esme own a spacious villa in one of those gold resort communities where everyone rides around on gold carts, which is pretty awesome in itself! We actually got our up to just over twenty miles per hour!

Our home is right next to Mr. And Mrs. Hale's villa, which is convenient, seeing that their twins Rosalie and Jasper and dating my siblings Emmett and Alice respectively.

Early in July, Rosalie had gone to have afternoon tea with her mother at the clubhouse, where she met Tanya and her mother. Rosalie immediately related to Tanya and started bringing her around to the house and inviting her to different events we would be attending. Naturally, Tanya and I would end up together since the other two couples would be so wrapped up in themselves they forgot we were even there. Tanya wasn't so bad. She was pretty with strawberry-blond hair, not necessarily my favorite, but she wore it well. Her family was from North Carolina, and they too were spending their summer in California. She flirted a little too much for my liking, but when we actually had real conversations, she had competent input. She wasn't stupid, but it seemed like any idea that she presented was something that her parents had told her. She didn't really have ideas of her own; she just followed what someone else told her to be true, without doing the research herself. On the plus side, she gave decent head, but what girl didn't? As long as a wet mouth was wrapped around me, even the slightest suction felt pleasant.

She cried yesterday while I packed my bags to leave. I didn't really see the point. It's not like we had a strong connection like Alice and Jasper. This girl was _definitely __**not**_ my 'soul mate'. I'm not really sure that any such girl exists. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too picky, but these girls get on my nerves so easily. Like Tanya; we could have had a nice last night together. I could have taken her to dinner at the clubhouse, a walk along the beach, some private time in my room to 'properly say goodbye'; but she had been crying all afternoon! There was no way I was taking her out in public like that. So I let her suck me off before I drove her home, promising her that I wouldn't forget about her. _Yeah... right. Sorry honey, but unless I'm in desperate need, I'll be imagining Rachel McAdams with her lips on my cock._ I let out a quiet chuckle, catching the attention of Alice. When she looked over at me with questioning eyes, I gave her a simple shrug of my shoulders. She turned back to her fashion magazine.

I was also looking forward to being back in Forks because I knew we would be starting baseball practices soon. I'm the captain of the team and I play first base. Jasper and Emmett are also on the team. Jasper plays second base and Emmett is our star pitcher. The three of us had gone out a few times over the summer to throw the ball around and play some home run derby to keep in shape. I had instructed our other team members to do the same while we were away. I had always enjoyed baseball. I liked everything about it. When we were young, Carlisle had taken Emmett and myself to a Mariners game in Seattle. I had been hooked ever since. We went to as many games as we could, and watched on TV the one's we couldn't attend. Carlisle signed us up for little league as soon as we were old enough. Baseball is my favorite sport and the Mariners are my favorite team.

The one thing I'm not looking forward to is the attention I seem to get at school. These unintelligent girls think that fawning all over me about some sport I can play, or the car I drive, or my looks will get them into my bed. They are sorely mistaken. Let me say this as nicely as I can; If you cannot form a coherent sentence about something other than those three previously names topics while refraining from using slang or text-speak, I want nothing to do with you. Plain and simple. Also, I can't stand nicknames. Call me Eddie, Ed, or any variation of Edward, and you're out. No second chances. Which is probably the main reason I hadn't been with any of the Forks High girls in any capacity. They thought that shit was cute. I just found it annoying. I need to find a girl who is charming, and intelligent, and it wouldn't hurt if she was easy to look at, and she needs to understand me for who I am. She needs to be able to hold an easy conversation, not one that feels forced and unnatural, like those I shared with Tanya. My dream girl needs to have a good sense of humor and she needs to be able to dish it right back. _Fat chance of me finding her in Forks._ I had resigned myself to this truth a long while ago and now I'm just waiting until next year when I will hopefully be at Dartmouth, surrounded my charming, intelligent, and beautiful girls. I just need to hold off until then.

As we finally arrived back at home, I carried my bags up to my room on the third floor. It was late and we were starting school the next day. I wanted to be up early and get to school in time to meet the guys before first period. I laid out a pair of faded jeans and a white button up shirt over the chair at my desk and stripped to my boxers before crawling into bed. I had forgotten how warm and welcoming my bed was. I drifted off not long after.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emmett and I were leaning against my Volvo outside of the school with Brent and Chad from the team, waiting for the rest of them to arrive. I wanted to have a couple words with them before classes started and let them know that we were seriously going to up our game this year and win the state title. We were talking about our summers and sharing stories when I heard the most beautiful sound entering the parking lot. For a moment I thought it was just Rosalie's BMW, but this was different; richer, more powerful. I looked over my shoulder to see an unfamiliar car slowly meandering down a lane, looking for a parking spot. Now, this car wasn't completely unfamiliar to me. I could tell immediately what it was, the problem was that no one in this town owned one, unless they bought it over the summer, but I didn't see that option as being very likely.

I noticed that the other three, as well as most of the students standing in the courtyard had turned to see who it was. The driver pulled the car into a space just five cars down from where we were parked, facing the courtyard. I waited for what seemed like hours before the passenger door finally opened. Angela Weber stepped out, _okay... mild shocker_, and then bent down to release the seat as her boyfriend Ben Cheney climbed out of the back. Angela closed the door behind Ben and they walked around to the front of the car as the drivers side door opened. I had thought that I might cream my pants at the sight of the car, but that was nothing to the girl who stepped out of the drivers seat. She had long brown hair, that fell in soft curls down to the middle of her back. She wasn't facing me, but I could see her reach back into the car, reemerging with her messenger bag, throwing it over her head while locking the car up. She met Angela and Ben at the front of the car and began walking toward us. Simply stated, she was beautiful. I had never seen her around Forks before, so I decided that she must have moved in over the summer while we were away.

Emmett brought me out of my thoughts with a low whistle. "Who. Is. That?" He whispered as she slowly walked toward us.

Neither Brent, nor Chad offered any comment as she was too close to be having a conversation about her. She looked up at us then, a small smile gracing her lips as she raised her hand in a slight wave.

"Hey, Bella." Brent and Chad said together as she came closer, both sounding a bit in awe of the girl. She seemed to blush slightly at their obvious devotion; at least, it was obvious to me.

"Hey, guys." She said sweetly as she passed. I watched her as she kept walked and caught her looking back at us over her shoulder.

"Wow..." was all I could get out while I ran a hand through my hair and tried to organize my thoughts. "Where did you guys happen to meet her?"

Brent cracked a huge smile before answering. "The park. We were playing a game of three on three when she walked over with Ang and Ben."

"That's one fine piece of ass." Emmett stated. Always so eloquent in his description.

"Dude, you have no idea." Chad added. "And she really cool! Into baseball! Her step-dad played ball, now he works with the Phillies. How awesome is that!"

She really was an attractive girl, but it's my senior year and I have so many other things that I need to focus on. I need to make sure I get into a good college, which means I need to be in top form in all my academic classes. I need to focus on the team and make sure that we are all playing our best. I know it's not an extensive list of To-Do's, but they're both really important to me, and I want to know that I'm focusing on what's going to help me in the long run. Even if she turns out to be the most wonderful girl in the world, that aspect of my life is on hold for now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

BPOV

I woke up early that morning. I was so nervous about the first day that I just couldn't sleep any longer. I had a couple hours before I had to be at Angela's house, so I rolled out of bed and wondered downstairs to get some breakfast. Charlie was sitting at the table with a coffee and the paper.

"Morning, Dad." I greeted, making my presence known.

He dropped the paper to the table and brought his coffee up to take a sip. "Morning, Bells. You ready for the first day?"

"Yep." I opened the refrigerator and pulled out the orange juice and a yogurt.

"You know where the school is?" He asked.

"No, but I'm picking up Angela and Ben, so they'll show me how to get there."

"Angela Weber and Ben Cheney?" He asked. Always the cop, needing all the facts. _If he gets this specific about a drive to school, I wonder what questions he's gonna ask when I want to go out with a guy._

"Yeah. I met them last weekend when I went out with Jessica and Lauren." I said as I poured a glass of OJ for myself.

"Oh, right. The park."

Charlie flipped the paper back up and continued to read. I took my glass, my yogurt, and grabbed a spoon from the drawer before going to sit across from him. I ate in silence and Charlie read in silence. I guess he's so used to being alone, but it doesn't bother me. I like the calm of the morning. You could hear the birds chirping just outside the kitchen window as the sun was peaking over the trees.

"Well, I gotta go kid. I'll be home around six."

"Okay. I'll have dinner ready." I said with a smile.

"Good luck, today." He said on his way out the door.

I finished my breakfast and wondered back upstairs to get dressed. I threw on my jeans and polo shirt, then quickly dug through my closet looking for my old brown Docs. Once I was dressed, I grabbed the Louis Vuitton messenger bag I had picked up in Paris, and started filling it with the things I would need for the day; notebook, folder for papers, pens, pencils, iPhone and head phones, and my wallet. _What else do you need on the first day?_ They're probably just gonna hand out information anyway.

It was just about seven-thirty when I headed downstairs again, this time fully dressed and ready to go. I grabbed my red A&F zip-up from the hall closet on my way out the door and jumped into my baby. After seeing the reaction she got last Saturday, I can't wait to see the reactions she gets today. I dropped my bag on the floor behind my seat and climbed in. I drove over to Angela's house to find her and Ben waiting out front for me. They jumped in and we headed off to school.

As we pulled in the parking lot I noticed the heads start to turn as I parked in one of the available spaces. Angela and Ben stepped out of the car while I grabbed my phone from the dock and turned the car off. I hopped out of the car and reached back in to grab my bag, pulling the strap over my head. I tried not too look around too much, no doubt they were all staring.

I started to walk up the sidewalk with Angela and Ben when I noticed Chad and Brent standing with two guys I hadn't seen before. _Maybe they're the other team members they were talking about last weekend._ I smiled and waved to the guys.

"Hey, Bella." They said together. It was so cute.

"Hey, guys." I said as we passed. I noticed the other two watching as we passed. Both were tall, one with a slight build and some crazy reddish hair, and the other one had short brown curly hair and looked like he could be a young Lou Ferrigno. Well, not the face, just the body. He was huge, and a little scary if I'm being honest with myself.

As we kept walking up to the school, I looked over my shoulder back at the group of guys. The cute one with the crazy hair was still looking in our direction. _That's right cutie, you keep watching. If I wasn't so intent on focusing on school this year, I might have given you a chance, but I just don't have the time right now._

Angela and Ben lead me into one of the buildings that housed the administrative offices. Mrs. Cope, the secretary in the office, handed me a schedule of my classes and a map of the grounds, including which buildings housed what subjects. I quickly stowed the map in my bag, knowing that Angela and Ben would make sure I made it to wherever I needed to be.

"What's your schedule look like?" Angela asked.

I looked down at the paper and started listing off my classes. "Computer Science in 101, English in 204, Trig in 307, History in 205, Lunch, Chemistry in 302, and Gym."

"I've got Trig with you third." Angela said. "Come on, we'll show you where 101 is."

Angela and Ben walked me to room 101, in the technology building, which also housed the library. They couldn't stay long since they had to go off to their other classes, so after a quick good-bye and plans to meet up later, I wondered into the classroom. I didn't feel the need to explicitly introduce myself to the teacher since it _is_ the first day of school and everyone should be new.

The room held four long tables that all faced the front of the classroom, with six computers to a table. I went to an empty seat in the second row and sat down next to a petite girl with spiky black hair. She immediately turned to me and introduced herself.

"Hey! I'm Alice."

"Bella."

Alice motioned to the girl on her other side and said, "This is Rosalie." The other girl waved back as did I. "Have you taken one of these classes before?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, I took a basic course when I lived in Phoenix. It was Stupid-Easy. I'm hoping this one will be the same." I told her. That course in Phoenix really was for the birds; it was so simple.

"This one should be, too." Rosalie chimed in. "I heard that he just gives you a work-book, and you just have to finish the assignments by the end of the year. Totally work-at-your-own-pace kinda stuff. Should be cake."

"Awesome, I need a no-brainer this early in the morning." I joked.

"So, when did you move here?" Alice asked. "'Cause I know I didn't see you last year. It must have been over the summer while we were away."

"Yeah, I moved in with my dad in early August."

"Who's your dad?" Rosalie asked.

"Charlie Swan; Chief Swan."

"Oh! He's such a nice man." Alice complimented.

"Thanks." I didn't really know what else to say to that, so _thanks_ seemed appropriate.

"Do you have any other classes with us?" Alice asked.

The teacher, Mr. Smith had been wondering around the room, passing out work-books, just like Rosalie predicted. He also passed out a schedule with a list of assignments from the book and told us to get started on the first one. We seemed to be able to multi-task, all of us working on the assignment and continuing our conversation.

I pulled out my schedule at Alice's request and she skimmed through it. "You don't have any other classes with us except lunch, but you do have gym with my brother Emmett, and History with my boyfriend Jasper, and it looks like you'll be with Edward for the rest of the day," she smiled.

Seeing the look that must have been on my face, Rosalie clarified. "Emmett and Edward are Alice's brothers by adoption. Jasper is my twin brother."

"And I love him." Alice said in a dreamy voice.

"Yeah, we all know." Rosalie said with a sarcastic tone, like she had heard all about how much Alice loves Jasper.

"Don't think you don't act the same when speaking of Emmett." Alice warned.

"Yeah." Rosalie sighed.

"Emmett and Rose have been together for a while now." Alice told me.

"Like you and Jazz haven't been together since diapers..." Rosalie chided and Alice laughed. These girls seemed genuine. We talked for the rest of the period, finishing our assignment early. We had decided to start the one for the next day to get ahead. As it came time for the bell to ring, Alice insisted on exchanging phone numbers so we could get together later in the week. They also made me promise to sit with them at lunch, but I made sure they knew Angela and Ben would be with me. They didn't seem to have a problem with that.

We were on our way out the door when Alice started talking again. "We'll walk you to your English class and introduce you to Edward. That way he can help you find the rest of your classes." I was a little wary of her offer. Some guy I don't know is going to be forced to walk around school with me all day by this tiny little girl. _Oh, well. His problem._

"Edward!" Alice called when we entered the next building. I followed her gaze to the same boy from this morning with the crazy hair. He smiled at her and loped over with his long stride. He really was beautiful; strong jaw, that amazing hair that I just wanted to touch and feel, and as he got closer I noticed his eyes. The brightest green I have ever seen. Julien had nice eyes, too, but they were nothing compared to this guy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

EPOV

I wondered to my first period class with the picture of Bella in my mind. I'm not even sure what Señora Groff said. This wasn't a good way to be starting the school year. I needed to give myself a little pep-talk. _Look, you've been working hard for the past eleven years to keep your grades high, and keep your body in shape for baseball. It all comes down to this; your senior year. You need to snap out of it and get your head in the game! No relationships this year!_

As soon as the bell rang, I was out the door and headed to the English wing. My locker happened to be right outside the classroom, so I stopped to put my new Spanish textbook away when I heard Alice call my name down the hall. As I headed in her direction I noticed her standing with Rosalie and Bella. _Unbelievable... I guess I shouldn't be surprised that they already met her._

"Edward, you're not going to believe this! It's so funny!" Alice exclaimed. I looked at her expectantly. "Bella has the same schedule as you!" This peaked my interest. _Bella had all the same classes as me, meaning that I will be around her for most of the day. Also, she must be bright if she's taking the same classes as well._

I remembered that I was standing with them and needed to respond somehow. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Alice continued before I could get a word out. "I figured you could show here to her classes since you're going to the same places. Also, she's sitting with us at lunch with Ben and Angela."

"Sounds good." I said to the group of them.

"All right, we gotta go to class, but we'll see you at lunch!" Alice called as she turned to walk down the hallway.

Bella and I turned to head into the classroom and found two seats next to each other.

"Sorry about that, Edward." Bella offered, her voice sounding apologetic along with the look on her face. "You don't really need to walk around with me all day. If I get lost I can always follow you like a stalker," she laughed.

I liked her laugh. _You're not allowed to like her laugh, that leads to liking other things!_ "I really don't mind, Bella." I liked that too, saying her name. Just then the teacher called the class to attention and we couldn't talk anymore, but I could listen.

The teacher had begun a discussion of the summer reading assignments. He was going around the room asking everyone which was their favorite and why, no doubt trying to decipher who completed the reading and who hadn't. I was awed by Bella's answer. She had mentioned a few of the different books in detail and admitted to being in the middle of the last one. When Mr. Medwick asked her why she had not completed all of the readings before today she informed him that she had only just received the list four weeks prior and even had to take a trip into Port Angeles over the last week to pick up the last three she didn't have. _Had this girl really read two and a half novels in the span of five days?_ Mr. Medwick seemed to let her off the hook after that and moved on to the girl sitting behind her. True to form of nearly all Forks girls, she rattled off something that sounded like a two-year-olds interpretation of Death of a Salesman, totally incoherent. I can't even be sure she actually read the book; maybe she just skimmed through the CliffsNotes.

On the way to our Trigonometry class, Bella was quiet as was I. I didn't really know what to say to her, and I didn't want to sound like a tool, so I kept my mouth shut. I was polite though. I smiled at her and held doors for her as we went. I made the mistake of looking down as she walked through a door I was holding for her. She had one of the nicest ass' I've seen in a while; firm, round... _I could totally grab onto that while I drilled her... She's the perfect height too, just about 5'4", to my 6'2". I'd be able to try that move Tanya wasn't capable of... NO! Bad thoughts! No drilling will be had!_ I had to close my eyes and look away before I tried to grab her right here in school.

In trig I sat behind her in the same row. Angela had entered the classroom just after us and sat in the desk next to her. Bella informed her of lunch with Alice and Rosalie, which meant lunch with myself, Emmett, and Jasper as well. I smiled at the thought. I liked the idea of spending time with Bella, getting to know her. She seemed like the exact opposite of the girls here. She hadn't even tried to flirt with me yet! That fact was almost a little disheartening. All this time I was annoyed by the constant flirting, and now, when I meet someone who I think I wouldn't mind it from, she shows no interest. Then again, I hadn't really shown much interest in her either, and it needed to stay that way if I wanted a 4.0 this year.

We said goodbye to Angela after class and headed to History. Jasper was already sitting in a seat near the back of the room when we got there. I motioned for Bella to follow me back to sit with Jazz. I didn't want her to feel left out and I actually liked her company. When we sat, I introduced her to Jasper and we talked for a little before Mr. Aiken started class.

It wasn't until the three of us were on our way to lunch when I finally thought of something to talk to her about; her car. She obviously had a thing for cars if she was driving that!

"So, Bella, that's some ride you've got." I mentioned.

A fabulous smile spread across her face. I wanted to make her smile more often.

"Yeah, I love her," she blushed. A girl referring to a car as 'her' is _hot_.

"It's a Scaglietti, right?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Really, I just wanted Bella to know that I knew. This could be something we have in common.

"Yeah! Phil, my step-dad, bought it for me earlier this summer." She said with a proud smile.

"So, you like cars?" I asked, knowing exactly where I wanted this conversation to go.

"I've always liked cars; the look of them, the feel of them when you're racing along, everything blurring as you drive by, the comfortable bucket seats..." she trailed off.

"I'll have to show you my baby some time." I mentioned. She turned to look at me, urging me to continue. I smiled. "I have an Aston in the garage at home. I don't like to drive it to school, too many people could touch it." I said with mock disgust.

She laughed at me. Yeah, I really did like the sound of it. No denying it now.

"That's an offer you shouldn't pass up." Jasper added, nudging Bella's shoulder. I had completely forgotten that he was walking with us. "Edward rarely ever lets anyone near it," he joked.

"That's just because I don't want it skankified." I clarified. "You never know where people's hands have been." This brought around another bout of laughter from Bella as we entered the cafeteria.

We got in line and each filled a tray for lunch. I was tempted to pay for her, but I thought that might be a bit forward of me. I could always pay for Jazz as well, and just group it all together, but he would know what I was doing, and then I'd never hear the end of it. Leave it to me start having feelings for a girl on the first day I meet her.

Our lunch group had now grown to epic proportions. We needed to spread over two tables. Brent, Chad, Andrew, Nick, Justin, and Kevin sat at one table, while Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Angela, Ben, Bella, and myself sat at the next table. I sat down next to Bella, the round tables not leaving much space between us with eight people around it. Just as we were getting comfortable, two of the most annoying girls in my existence started toward our table. I let out an audible groan, earning the attention of everyone at the table. They were so busy looking to me for an excuse that they didn't notice Jessica and Lauren approaching.

To my surprise, they didn't address me, but the beauty sitting next to me. "Hey, Bella!" Jessica said with obvious strained enthusiasm. Lauren just stared holes in my head. "I'm so surprised we haven't seen you all day!"

Bella just shrugged her shoulders. "I've been around," she said with a small smile. "How's your first day going?"

I was a little confused as to why Bella continued conversation with them, but at least there were no places for them to sit down with us.

"It's going great!" Lauren finally jumped into the conversation. "What about you, Eddie?"

I'm sure I visibly cringed at the sound of her voice. "Fine, thank you. Bella and I have been enjoying our classes." I made sure to lump myself with Bella, hopefully they would take that the wrong way and assume that I'm not available.

"Oh," Lauren sounded dejected, _good_. "Well, we're gonna go eat. It was good to see you again, Bella. We'll have to get together again some time," she said with a fake smile before turning to leave with Jessica.

"Looks like your fan club is back." Alice teased. "I'm surprised they waited this long to ambush you."

"Ha ha." I stated dryly. "Besides, they didn't come over to see me, they came to say hello to their best buddy, Bella." I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and noticed her roll hers.

"I met them at the grocery store and we went to the park last weekend. It's how I met Angela and Ben," she motioned to the other two at the table. "I can't say it was all bad. I got to meet these guys too," she reached behind herself and playfully shoved Nick's shoulder. They all laughed with her.

I love how well she fits in with all of my friends. So easy and care free, like she's always been a part of the group.

"So, Emmett, how's the arm? You ready for this season?" Ben asked, starting up a conversation.

"Awesome!" Emmett boomed. "We played all summer long. I think my fast ball is even faster now!"

"You're on the baseball team?" Bella questioned. She was so cute when she was inquiring about new information.

"Yeah, of course." Emmett told her. "I'm the pitcher, obviously, Jasper plays second base, and Edward here is our captain and first baseman."

"Wow, I can't wait to see your first game." she smiled. _I can't wait for our first game either. I can just imagine her sitting in the stands cheering for me... Well, for us. I'm sure she wouldn't single me out._

"Bella's step-dad is in base ball, isn't he?" Ben questioned.

"Do we know him?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know." Bella said. "He was playing for a minor league team in Florida, but he was just offered a job as first base coach for the Phillies."

"Didn't you say his name was Phil?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, Phil Dwyer." Bella confirmed.

"I think I read that online somewhere." I said.

"So this means that we need to go see the Mariners when they host the Phillies." Emmett stated. "Maybe we can get Phil to throw us a ball or something," he smiled.

All too soon the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. We said good bye to the others and headed off to our Chemistry class. There was one table in the back that no one had sat down at yet, so I practically hauled Bella back with me so that we could sit together. She was laughing at me, but I didn't care. I didn't want to get stuck sitting with any of our other annoying classmates. It's a good thing I acted fast, too, because not two minutes after we sat down, Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley wondered in the room. Jessica took a seat next to another girl, while Mike made his way directly back to our table.

As he walked up to the table, he was eying Bella, but she wasn't even paying attention. She was scrolling through something on her phone.

"Hey, Bella! This is so great! We have a class together!" Mike enthused.

Bella looked up, a little confused, like she hadn't heard a word he said. "What?" she asked.

"I said it's great that we have a class together! Maybe we can be lab partners or something?" Mike offered.

_Shit! I was so fucking focused on getting a table together that I never actually expressed to her the _point_ of sitting together. Now she's gonna be his partner and I'm gonna be stuck with whomever's left over! Damn it!_

"Um, I kind of already have a lab partner." She said, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth with her teeth. _That's hot._

"Who?" Mike asked, perplexed. _Yeah, who? I didn't see anyone ask you._

"Edward and I already agreed to be partners, but I'm sure Jess would love to be your partner." Bella offered. _She said 'Edward and I' and she said we were partners. I didn't have to ask her, she already knew. She's a smart girl, she figured it out all on her own._

Mike slowly wondered off, back to where Jessica was sitting. Bella turned to me with a nervous look on her face. "Sorry I put you on the spot like that. I didn't mean to bring you into it, and you don't have to be my lab partner if you don't want to, I just couldn't stand the idea of working with him." Bella spouted off a mile a minute.

"What are you talking about? Of course I'll be your lab partner. Why else would we be sitting together?" I tried to reassure her.

Mr. Banner walked in then and basically told us everything we already knew. "Whoever you sit with today is your lab partner for the rest of the year. You cannot change partners in the middle of the year, so you better get along with this person. If any of you would like to move I suggest you do it now or forever hold your peace."

He gave us a simple getting to know you lab to work on which Bella and I finished in record time.

"So, what'd you do over the summer?" I asked Bella as we were sitting, waiting for the period to end. I wanted to know everything there was about her, and we're gonna start with this past summer and then work backwards.

"I spent a month in Paris with Phil and my mom, Renee, before I came to Forks to spend a month with Charlie before school started today. What about you?"

"We go down to our house in California. Jasper and Rosalie's parents own the house next to ours, so we've spent summers together since we were in diapers."

Just then, Mr. Banner redeemed himself of every bad thing I had ever said about him. "You should probably exchange contact information with you lab partner so that you can contact each other outside of school."

Bella pulled her iPhone out and handed it to me to enter my information. I did the same and she laughed a little when she saw that we have the same phone, though I had the classic black one and Bella had the newer blue one.

"Don't be sending me naughty pictures of yourself now, Cullen." Bella teased with a smile as she handed my phone back to me.

"I'll try to be on my best behavior, but I can't promise anything." I smiled back.

The bell rang and we headed to the gym. Chances are we wouldn't be doing anything today except listening to rules. Bella and I found a spot on the bleachers with everyone else and waited for the teacher to start his lecture.

_This has probably been the best first day of school ever. I can't believe that I've met this awesome girl. I just hope she doesn't get bored of being around me all day. I don't think I could get bored of her. Even though I can't get into a relationship with her right now, that doesn't mean we can't be friends. I've never hung out with a girl 'like that' before. Usually, if I'm with a girl alone we're going other things, but I think it would be fun to hang out with Bella._

Bella nudged my arm, bringing me out of my private thoughts. "Hey, Edward, thanks for putting up with me all day." she said with a smile.

"Not a problem, Bella." I smiled back. "You're not half bad." I joked.

"Thanks, Dick."

_I like joking around with her too. I wonder if she knows any Dane Cook... Perfect! That douche Crowley's got a Superman t-shirt on._

I nudged Bella to get her attention and pointed down to Crowley. "I just want to shoot him in the chest, and when he starts to bleed, go 'I guess not!'" and I waited for a reaction. _Was she gonna get it, or would she think I'm some morbid prick? Crap! I didn't think that one through._

Thank God, Bella's the awesome person that she is, because the next words out of her mouth sealed our fate as friends. "Don't wear the shirt! Wear a shirt that says, 'I bleed if you shoot me in the chest plate', and I will not shoot you in the chest plate, Super Bleeder! Ha ha, I called him Super Bleeder!"

I threw my arm over her shoulder and hugged her to my side. "You're awesome."

"It's more like 'pathetic'. Who knows most of Dane's work by heart?"

"I do." I reassured her. "What's your favorite line?"

"There are so many! I don't know if I have a favorite. He's got a few about car accidents that are hilarious. 'I was in my kitchen cleaning a dish. I will bring the dish as exhibit A.' or the one about being struck by a vehicle, when he's describing the car, '...which was a Dodge by the way, and I thought that was kind of funny and ironic.'" Her head tilted back as she laughed at the joke. _Perfect, she's just perfect._

Coach Clapp let us out of class early, so Bella and I headed out to the parking lot to wait for our friends. I assumed she needed to wait for Angela and Ben since they drove in with her this morning.

As we were leaning against my car, waiting for our friends, I noticed Newton strolling across the quad. I laughed to myself, then nudged Bella and indicated the direction of Mike. "Fuckin' Brian's coming." I smiled, knowing she would get it.

She dropped her voice so he wouldn't hear as he approached us. "I heard when he was born, the doctor said, 'Fuckin' Brian's coming. Let's get this demon seed outta here.'"

We were laughing at each other as Newton walked up to us. "Hey, Bella! I was wondering if you had plans tonight. I thought maybe we could go get something to eat."

"Actually, I've got a lot to get done at the house tonight. Plus, it's a school night, and Charlie probably won't want me out." she replied. She was letting him down easy.

"Oh, okay Bella. Maybe another time." he sighed. She gave him a kind smile before he turned to walk away.

"So, how much do you actually have to do at home? It's not like we have any homework." I prodded.

"Actually, nothing. It's gonna be boring as hell. I'll probably read more of that book for English."

"I was gonna head over to the record store in Port Angeles if you want to tag along." I offered. Even if I couldn't devote the time and energy for a real relationship, doesn't mean we can't hang out as friends.

"Sounds like fun." she smiled.

"Great, I'll pick you up at your place around six?" She nodded. "Don't eat. We'll pick something up there."

"Awesome." she said as Angela and Ben walked up. She waved to me as the three of them got into her car and left the parking lot.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So, there's the second chapter. Please let me know what you think, or if there's anything that you think needs to be fixed. Thanks!

~Hanne


	3. The Record Store

So, I know it's been a while since my last update, sorry about that. I've been busy with the last weeks of school and trying to find something entertaining for my students... I picked up MadGab, Would You Rather?, and another game I can't remember the title of. I think they enjoyed themselves... The biggest problem was making sure I got all the pieces back... and these are high school students!

Also, just an FYI, I reposted Chapter 2, 'cause I'm just a little crazy, and I found some typo's. So, I fixed the ones I found and reposted. Nothing else changed!

Oh, well! So, here's the next chapter!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Chapter 3 – The Record Store**

BPOV

I got home from my first day of school around three o'clock. It had been one whirlwind of a day, that's for sure! I even made plans for tonight. Though, thank God, they are not with Mike Newton. For one thing, Jess seems to like him. I'm not exactly sure why, and it's not like she's my best friend or anything, but I don't need to be making enemies already. For another, he's just annoying. He thinks everything he says is funny and original. He thinks that working at an outdoor outfitters store makes you outdoorsy... He doesn't even take walks, let alone camp anywhere. He slicks his blond hair straight back. Two things about that: 1) blond is unoriginal, and I can tell it's not his natural color, and 2) slicked back hair makes anyone look like a skeeze, especially is you can see the comb marks. It's like he's practicing for the comb-over he'll have in his early thirties. _Eww!_

The rest of my day was awesome. Alice and Rosalie are awesome, and I can see myself getting along with them. Jasper's quiet, but when he does speak, it's hilarious. Emmett speaks all the time, and it's always hilarious. There were a couple times Rose had to put him in his place today at lunch, but just to remind him to be respectful of the people around us. Then there's Edward; what can be said about Edward? There's so much. We spent most of the day together, as we will for the rest of the year. I learned a lot about him today. He's smart, that's for sure. He looks silly, but almost sexy, sitting in the desks at school. He's so tall, and his legs are so long, that when he sits at one of the desks, his legs extend out to the sides of the desk in front of him, slightly bent at the knee. He really was nice to look at, and I wouldn't mind spending the rest of the year hanging out with him. I just kinda hope he doesn't get bored of me being around all the time. He did looked a little more comfortable at the lab table in Biology. At least they have stools and his feet rest comfortably on the ground. I probably looked like a kindergärtner with my feet swinging above the floor.

He said he was going to a record store tonight. _I wonder what kind of music he listens to._ I like just about anything. I had to buy the 16GB iPhone to hold my music, but I am totally going to look into this rumor I heard about a 32GB coming out soon, because I still can't fit _all_ my music on the device. My music selection ranges from Pop, to Hip-Hip, to R&B, to a little Country, to Alternative, to New Age, to Classical, to Blues, to Dance hits, to Latin, to Rock, to Reggae, to just about anything. I know it's a lot, but I've got over 3,500 songs that equal out to about nine and a half days straight of music without repeating. I can almost _guarantee_ that _anyone_ can find something they like! Music is like an obsession to me, so when Edward mentioned the record store, I jumped at the chance.

I was sitting in my room catching up on my reading assignment for English. Charlie wasn't home yet even though he said he's be home around six. I had already made him a quick dinner and left it in the oven to stay warm. I looked at the clock and realized that Edward would be here any minute, so I went downstairs and wrote Charlie a quick note about where I would be, where to find his dinner, and a quick sorry that I wouldn't be eating with him. I didn't think he'd mind that I was hanging out with a friend. _He hadn't __minded all month, why would today be any different?_

Just as I finished writing the note, I heard a car pull up outside. I grabbed my favorite Coach Signature Zoe bag in black and headed out the door. I almost stopped dead in my tracks when I looked up. _He brought the Aston._ We had talked a little about cars at school today, and if I remember correctly, Jasper said he doesn't let anyone in it; something about being 'skankified', if that's even a word. So I was shocked when he opened the drivers side door and walked around to open the passengers side door for me.

"Wow, Cullen! I guess this is a compliment! Is it safe to assume that I'm not considered a skank?"

He scoffed at me. "Please, Bella. There is nothing skanky about you." he said as I slid into the seat. Black leather, black dash board, black exterior; the car was stunning and elegant.

Edward closed my door and walked back around to the other side, getting in and backing out of the driveway.

"So, how was your first day?" he asked as we headed down my street. I had only gone into Port Angeles once to go to the bookstore. I didn't really take the time to walk around, so I had no idea what to expect, though I knew the drive should take around an hour.

"Interesting..." was the first word that came to mind.

"Is that a good interesting, or a bad interesting?" Edward asked with a smile. His smile really is cute, kind of lop sided, and his eyes sparkled. Those beautiful green eyes I had noticed earlier today. _They're total panty-dropper eyes. I bet he can have any girl he wants. Too bad I'm not a one-and-done kind of girl. Of the three guys that I've been with, all of them were boyfriends at the time._

I realized that I should have answered Edwards question by now, and I hoped that it just looked like I was thinking it over. "I guess it was a good interesting." I said, smiling. "There's this guy who followed me around all day, but other than that..." I trailed off.

"Very funny." he said, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "But the way I remember it, I knew where I was going, and it was you that was doing the following." he smiled.

I laughed, turning my head to glance out the side window. The trees were a blur of green and brown, and the drops of rain water on the window skewed the view even more. It was a little trippy, but it was beautiful. "Do you like living here?" I suddenly felt like asking.

Edward thought about that for a moment. "Yeah, I guess. It's kind of quiet, but, obviously, the drive to Port Angeles isn't that bad," he gestured out the window, emphasizing our current destination, "and the drive to Seattle isn't a killer. We still get out and do fun things." he laughed.

"I was wondering about that. I've been here for a month and all they want to do is go to the park, or La Push, or just hang out at someone's house. I was beginning to get bored out of my mind."

"Well, you have to know the right people." he smiled again. "So, what kinds of things did you do for fun in Phoenix?"

"Normal teen things. Movies, shopping, bowling, parties, weekend trips to the beach, going out to dinner, you know."

"We have those things here too." Edward reminded me.

"I know, I know, but if this place is so wonderful, then why do you go away for the summer to California?" I asked. I wasn't necessarily arguing with him, I was just curious.

"My parents used to live in Cali. My dad, Carlisle, was Chief of Staff at a transplant surgery hospital there when we were really young. Esme, my mom, didn't want us to grow up in a city. She wanted to live in a small town where everyone knows everyone... I guess she got that wish." he smiled again. _He's smiling an awful lot tonight. _ "We've always lived next door to the Hale's. So, when we moved from Cali, Esme told Mrs. Hale about the area and they moved up shortly after us. Neither of them got rid of their house in Cali, so we use them as summer homes."

I fell silent for a moment, not knowing what to ask him next. There were so many things I wanted to know, but I wasn't corny enough to start asking questions about favorites. Those things can be learned over time.

"Do you miss Phoenix?" Edward asked a little while later.

"A little." I admitted, looking down at my lap. "I miss my mom and Phil, that feeling of being home. I kinda still feel like I'm visiting."

"We'll fix that." he said with confidence. I looked up to see him glance over at me before looking back to the road.

The rest of the ride to the harbor town was quiet. We made it there quicker than expected, though I'm not surprised. Edward pulled into a parking lot and got out of the car. Before I could gather my things, he was already at my door, opening it for me.

"Thank you." I said as I stepped out of the car. I noticed a couple people eying us, but that's what you get for driving an Aston Martin around Washington State.

"Dinner, first?" Edward asked. I simply nodded my head and we headed off down the street. I'm assuming Edward knew where we were going, because I was just following him; as I had all day today. He stopped outside a restaurant called The Mediterranean Café and asked if I was interested. The cousine, I assumed, would be something Italian, so I agreed.

We walked up to the podium and Edward asked for a table for two. I laughed internally when the hostess started eying me up. _She thinks we're on a date! I'll have to share this little gem with Edward once she walks away._

She seated us at a comfortable booth, but definitely within view of her station at the podium.

She handed us each a menu and said, "I'll just go let your server know you're here." I smiled up at her, but I doubt she noticed.

"Edward," I said, getting him to look up from his menu. "She thinks we're on a date." I laughed. "Did you notice the glare I got when we walked in?" I couldn't contain the giggle that came out.

"I wasn't really paying attention." he shrugged and looked back down at the menu. "I think I'm going to have the Gnocchi with Alfredo Sauce."

"That sounds good. I'm going to have the Penne in Vodka Sauce with Ham."

Just then out waitress walked up to introduce herself and take out orders. She was perky, with that valley girl lilt to her voice. It was almost laughable watching her flirt with Edward. She was pretty, but she was trying too hard. As soon as she walked off to get our drinks, Edward noticed me trying to hold the laughter in.

"Go ahead," he said, sounding defeated. I couldn't hold it any longer and let myself laugh at the situation. "It doesn't change. Even when I come here with the others, she still does that eye thing. It looks like she's having a spasm." He dropped his face into his hands.

"She just can't help herself." I said, with a fake swoon in my voice, laughing again.

"Whatever." Edward mumbled while I continued to laugh.

We had a nice conversation over dinner where I learned a few things about Edward. Mainly, there's a gym here! I was wondering what I was going to do about exercise. I didn't really feel like running around Forks in the rain all the time. In Phoenix, I used to go to LA Fitness Sports Club three or four times a week. Edward said he usually goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays right after school, and Saturdays in the morning.

After dinner we went straight to the gym, and I signed up for a one year membership so that I could start going with Edward the next day. He said I already followed him around during school hours, I might as well follow him around after school, too. _Cocky bastard!_ I let that one go without vocal comment, just a playful glare.

When we finished up at the gym, we walked over to the record store. It was one of those old, hole-in-the-wall kind of places. I find that they usually have the best stuff. We separated down different aisles to look through the collection. I had already picked up _The Cars: Complete Greatest Hits_, Ben Folds' solo album _Rockin' the Suburbs_, and Cake's _Comfort Eagle_ when I came across the most glorious find of the century. I think I stopped breathing when I saw it sitting in the bin. Pink Floyd's _The Wall_, on _vinyl!_ This couldn't be real. I picked up the box with the white brick background. _The outside seems to be in good condition._ I opened up the box to pull out it's contents and inspect it. Everything was there; albums with sleeves and inserts, and everything looked to be in excellent condition. I quickly added it to my pile before moving on to pick up the new Asher Roth CD, along with John Mayer's single for _Say_ and Jason Mraz's album _We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things._ I knew Asher was really the odd man out in this musical grouping, but you can't tell me you don't like his song _I Love College._ _It's got a good beat, makes me wanna dance._

I headed back to the counter to be rung up and met Edward there.

"Wow." Edward started flipping through my selections, commenting as he went. "Pink is 60's rock, The Cars are 70's rock, Cake is newer rock, Ben Folds is mellow rock. Then you pick some new pop music and Asher Roth? How do they fit in?" He teased.

"I like a wide range of music, okay? What about you?" I looked to his pile. All classical. "Wow, Cullen, you've really got a wide assortment there." I teased.

He shrugged. "I needed some new music for relaxing." he stated simply. I think that's one of the things I'm liking most about Edward. He does what he wants and doesn't care what people think of him. Most teens wouldn't be caught dead listening to classical.

We paid for our finds and headed back to Edwards car. When we turned the corner and the parking lot was in sight, I noticed a few guys our age admiring the Aston. I nudged Edward to get his attention. "Check it." I said, pointing to the small crowd.

"Wanna play with them a little?" Edward asked with a mischievous look in his eye.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked, smiling up at Edward.

"Just play along." he said as we got closer.

We slowed when we got to the group. Edward seemed to be admiring his own car. _Oh, so we're gonna surprise them when we get in? Yay!_ I did a little internal happy dance. Didn't want to give anything away.

"It really is nice, isn't it?" Edward asked the three guys standing near the front of the car.

"_Nice_?" one of them scoffed. "This car is not just _nice_. It's amazing."

"I think it's pretty." I commented, totally sounding the part of 'dumb-girl'.

The three boys turned to look at me with slight disgust. I noticed Edward trying to hold in a laugh. _If they only knew._

One of them turned to Edward. "Dude, why do you keep her around?"

Edward smirked at me and shrugged. "She's a good lay."

I raised an eyebrow at him. Edward just laughed it off.

"This guy must be loaded," another one commented.

"Totally, do they even sell these in the States?" the third spoke.

"I'm pretty sure they do." Edward said with a knowing smile. _Of course he knows, he bought the car. _"Ready to go?" he asked, looking down to me.

"Of course."

I watched for a reaction from the spectators as Edward lead me around to the passengers side of the car while pulling the keys out of his pocket. He hit the button and the lights flashed, unlocking the doors. A look of confusion washed over the faces of our new friends as they started to look around for someone approaching. The shock didn't come until I was taking my seat in the car.

Two of them were speechless as the third tried to form a complete sentence. "Huh? Wha... I... But... Are you crazy, man?"

Edward just laughed. "Not at all. But you should see your face." He closed my door and walked around to the drivers seat. As we backed out of the space, I gave a slight wave out my window to the still stunned teens.

As we exited the parking lot and set off down the main road, I turned in my seat to face Edward. "So, I'm a good lay?" I asked, almost in disbelief. It was too funny.

He shrugged. "I thought it might get a good reaction out of them." he joked as I shook my head.

We headed back towards Forks, quietly listening to one of Edwards new finds from the record store.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

EPOV

I had dropped Bella off at her house with a 'goodnight' and an 'I'll see you tomorrow' before heading back home. I wanted to spend more time with her; she was just so interesting. I could talk to her for hours; and she was so easy to be with, that we didn't have to say a thing. _This just complicates things. Why couldn't I have met her a year from now? Why did she have to enter at this point in my life?_

I parked my car in the garage and made my way up to my room. Carlisle and Esme would be in bed by now, and who knows what Alice would be up to.

Apparently, she wasn't busy, because she knocked on my door as soon as I flopped down on my bed.

"How was your date?" she sang as she skipped over to my couch and sat down.

"It wasn't a date, Alice. It was two friends spending time together." I answered her.

"Well, what did you do on this non-date?"

"Dinner, Bella signed up for the gym, and the record store. No movie, no awkward conversations, no goodnight kiss, thus, no date." I stated clearly. I didn't need Alice getting the wrong impression. Lord knows how far she would go with it.

"And why not?" she persisted. "She's _too cute_ and you guys would make a _great_ couple! I can see it!"

"Alice, I don't have time for a relationship right now. I need to focus on school, and my grades, and baseball. I wouldn't have the time needed to devote to a relationship. Then I would feel bad because she deserves better than that." I sighed as I covered my eyes with my arm.

"I don't think that's a good enough excuse, Edward." Alice commented as she wondered out of my room.

_It's not an excuse; it's reality. Bella does deserve more than I can give her right now. We can stay friends, and be there for each other when we need it, and we can keep this platonic. At least, I'll try my hardest._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wow, so, that was hard to write. I'm not sure why. I know what I want to happen later on and I know that I need to lead up to those events, but it's hard to not just jump to the part where they get together. Oh, common! You know it's gonna happen! It's an Edward/Bella story! And I'm all about the HEA's! (Happily Ever After)

Anyway, the next update might take a while. I have the outline ready, I just have to write it. Though, I'm going on vacation right after school gets out on the 23rd and won't be able to get to a computer until I return.

I started another story, so if you like crass, smoking, sexy Edward, check out 'That Party Last Night' on my profile. I only have two chapters so far, but it's getting more of a response than this story, so we'll see.

As always, please review and tell me what you think!

~Hanne


End file.
